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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. court — for sport
  3. mark — a grade
  4. court — of law
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. drill — the tool
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. court — of a king
  11. hand — in cards
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. drill — a practice
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. foot — a measure
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. toast — bread
  21. mark — a trace
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. drill — army training
  24. straw — a straw man

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com